Impromptu speech outline: 7 formats

What's on this page

Seven structural patterns, each with example impromptu speech outlines and a printable blank outline template to download.

How to use these structural patterns: guidelines for practice

About the printable impromptu speech outlines

How to reframe a topic: examples of openings showing how to adapt a topic.

The patterns are: 

1. Point, Reason, Example, Point (PREP)
2. Past, Present, Future
3. Problem, Solution
4. Pros/Cons, Positives/Negatives, For/Against, Advantages/Disadvantages
5. Cause, Effect, Remedy
6. Before/The Event/The Result
7. Local, National, International

PREP impromptu speech outline: workplace 

Topic: Cameras off during a virtual team meeting

Point: Human Resources are reporting numerous requests from employees to be allowed to leave their cameras off during routine virtual (zoom) meetings.

Reason: The reason most frequently given is fatigue due to  strain 

Examples: It is hard to:

• maintain focus while looking at a grid of faces for the length of an entire meeting,
• see yourself on camera and NOT respond to it,
• be physically constrained in a small space in order to remain on camera,
• arrange life so it doesn’t intrude in the form of kittens, babies or anything else while on camera,
• have your colleagues in your home without having issued the invitation yourself.

Point: And that’s why we’ve asked Human Resources to develop a set of guidelines to cover when cameras should be on, and when they can be turned off. If you have any suggestions or points you’d like them to consider, please get them by Friday.

For more: 

• Bailenson, J. N. (2021). Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 2(1). 
• Should We Require Students to Turn Their Cameras On in the Zoom Classroom? Anna Lännström, Stonehill College. Published by Wabash Center, 2020 

PREP impromptu speech outline example: social

A toast to acknowledge friend’s engagement

Point: It’s a joy to join you celebrating Ryan and Mary’s engagement.

Reason(s): There’s dozens of reasons for my being pleased to be here. We haven’t got time for them all. So here’s three. The first goes back a long way to when we were ten years old. I’m never going going to get married, he said. Thanks to Mary, look at you now! I am delighted you have to eat those words. The second reason is quite selfish. At least the field is cleared now because he’s well and truly spoken for. Hi ya singletons out there! And the third and most important is because I’ve never seen Ryan quite so deliriously crazy happy, ever, in all the years I’ve known him.

Example(s): This is the man who has spent all his weekends for last year renovating the house they share. You know it’s got to be the real thing when unclogging drains, getting rid of rat nests and replacing rotten window frames is better than time out with me and the boys. When you add making significant positive changes to his eating and drinking habits, throw in running a kilometer or two or three or more, several times a week, it’s proof. You’ve got be happy to do any of that!

Point: Which in turn, makes me happy too. Here's to Ryan and Mary!

Topic: In your experience what's an effective way of getting children to eat vegetables?

In the past:

When I was a child not eating whatever was served was not an option. It didn’t matter if it was something dreaded like cauliflower, broccoli or spinach. It was on the plate. Therefore it needed to be chewed and swallowed. If it wasn’t you were in for a long sit at the table. Because both you and the plate of food remained in place until the plate was cleared. This as a technique was a failure. It built resentment rather than a love of vegetables.

Present:

That kind of stand off would not happen nowadays. I have more tolerance than my parents for children whose taste buds do not thrill to strong tasting vegetables. The only thing I ask of my kids, is that they try a little of each new one when it is served. If they don’t like it, they can put it to one side. Alongside that, we use vegetables as snacks, sneak them into purees and sauces, get the kids involved in choosing and cooking them, and set an example by eating copious quantities of them ourselves.

Future:

Who knows?

Our diets are changing. They are becoming increasingly plant based. Vegetables are no longer an accompaniment, an after-thought. Instead they’re center plate – up front and proud. 

Perhaps the infamous battle over vegetables will disappear entirely. It’s my hope that through showing greater tolerance of our children’s preferences and by being more creative with how we introduce them into their diets, that the issue will simply cease to be one.

Vive la broccoli! 

Topic: What are the most popular and enduring toys for children?

Past: Toys that sold well: Teddy bears, named after Theodore Roosevelt 1902, yo-yos – 1928, Silly Putty, 1955, GI Joe – dolls for boys, 1960s, including two that have kept right on selling;

Present: Lego from Denmark, 1932, and Barbie from USA, 1959

Future: More Lego, more Barbies who are more diverse, more skin types and shapes. Both seem set for along time yet.

Example: The problem is congestion on our main city roads during peak hours.

The solution is to:

• reroute heavy vehicles over those hours
• look carefully at the current design of the roundabouts, on and off ramps and laybys and update them if necessary 
• adjust the speed limit

Example: The problem is maintaining a work routine while working from home

The solution is to:

• make yourself a dedicated work space.
• set yourself regular hours for getting up, having breakfast, being at your desk, lunch etc.
• establish clear boundaries around your work time for family and friends. Being in the same room or the next one, doesn’t mean you’re available.
• prioritize your tasks for the day each morning.
  
  

Dilemma: Whether or not to go to university

Pros:

• New experiences, new people, broadens outlook
• Builds networking opportunities, long term friendships, & professional relationships
• After graduation enter workforce at different level – a leg up because core competencies already established
• Scholarships available
• Leadership and extension activities/clubs available

Cons:

• High levels of personal debt
• Difficult to sustain oneself mentally, physically and financially without support
• Doesn’t guarantee a job on graduation
• Doesn’t train you for a specific vocation
• Doesn’t automatically mean entry into higher paying job

Dilemma: Whether or not to buy cheap or fast fashion

Pros:

• Affordable – instantly gratifying
• Up to the minute clothing – democratization of fashion – not just for elite rich
• Can follow the trend – included rather than excluded on price
• Can change mind and buy more if don’t like what you have – not going to cause you hardship
• Profitable for retailers and manufacturers

Cons:

• pollution: people throw out their clothes which then enter land fills
• waste: breeds throwaway mentality – chuck rather than mend
• loss of skills: how to mend clothing: sew on buttons, fix a fallen hem, patch a rip etc.
• exploitation of woman and children in 3rd world countries: low wages, and unsafe workplaces

For more: Fast Fashion by Adam Hayes, April 2021, investopedia.com

Topic: Public speaking anxiety

Cause(s) of public speaking anxiety:

• feeling self conscious in front of others
• fearing repeat of past poor experiences
• fear of being judged
• fearing not being as good as you’d like to be, or as good as others

Effect(s):

• breathing poorly which doesn’t support the voice
• becoming overwhelmed by symptoms of fear: shaking limbs, quivering voice, racing heart beat, forgetting what had been practiced
• gabbling through speech at break neck speed
• becomes a cycle which intensifies each time a person has to speak in public
• limits personal potential in many ways: at work and socially

Remedies:

• take a public speaking course, join a public speaking club
• practice a great deal,  get good support and practical feedback you can use
• and take every opportunity to speak in front of others as it will lessen the fear.
  
  

Topic: Procrastination

Cause(s) of procrastination:

• boredom: not being interested in the task that needs completing
• fear of failure: thinking the task will prove too difficult - would rather not begin it, than risk failure, perfectionism
• unable to prioritize what needs to be done against what isn’t so urgent
• overwhelmed: too many things to do, and too little energy
  

Effect(s) of procrastination:

• pressure: rushing to catch up on what should have been done which leads to poor decision making
• failure: letting oneself, friends, family and workmates down, compromised work standards, reputation
• losing time, opportunities, limiting your career options
• escalating low self-esteem issues and health risks

Remedies:

• Create incremental to-do lists – a bit at a time rather than one huge overwhelming piece of work.
• Create a stimulating work-place for yourself – surround yourself with what you genuinely like to see.
• Time-line your work realistically - what needs to happen. today, tomorrow and the next day to arrive at the due date with the work completed to your satisfaction.
• Get rid of the temptations you know you are distracted by. Put your phone on mute. Remove bookmarked sites.
• Find a mentor, someone you admire and who will hold you to account.

Topic: Covid-19 - its impact on the tourism industry in NZ

Before:

Total annual tourism expenditure had increased by almost $15 billion, or 55%, in the seven years prior to 2020. 

• Tourism was New Zealand’s biggest export industry, contributing 20.1% of total exports. 
• Tourism generated a direct annual contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $16.4 billion, or 5.5%, and a further indirect contribution of $11.3 billion, another 3.8% of New Zealand’s total GDP.  

The event:

Then along came Covid–19.  The borders were closed in an effort to keep it out for as long as possible. Good for the population: fewer deaths and hospitalizations compared to other first world countries: USA, UK, Australia but not so good for tourism.

The result: 

In 2021:

• total tourism expenditure was $26.1 billion, a decrease of 37.3 percent ($15.6 billion) from the previous year.
• international tourism’s overall contribution to New Zealand’s total exports of goods and services fell to 2.1 percent from 20.0 percent
• tourism generated a direct contribution to GDP of $8.5 billion, or 2.9 percent, a decrease of 47.5 percent ($7.7 billion), or 2.6 percentage points

Reference: https://www.tia.org.nz/about-the-industry/quick-facts-and-figures/

Here’s a feel-good-hard-work-pays-off story using the format, the sort you might hear on your local TV or radio station.

Topic: the house makeover

Before the makeover:

• dark and dingy – very few windows, dated décor
• very poor heat retention – no insulation
• no outdoor – indoor flow
• small poky kitchen with limited storage
• one bathroom – not adjacent to either living areas or bedrooms

The Event:  the makeover of the worst house in the best street,  a perfect project for husband (builder) and wife (interior decorator), 12 month time line, carefully planned

The Result:

• jump in value of property
• a house which is a pleasure to live in, fabulous garden, everybody is happy, reporters come calling for house and garden magazine before and after spreads☺
• an inspirational example of talent plus effort
  

Topic: Deaths from Covid-19 in New Zealand as at 22nd February 2022

Local: none

National: 56

International: 5,905,942

Reference: Google News - Covid 19 map - New Zealand 

Topic: Who follows the news?  A survey of 38 countries, 2018

Local news: Global median = 78%. 78% of respondents are more likely to follow the news if in own area and own country. 

National news: Global median = 86%. 86% of respondents are more likely to follow if the news is about own country.

International news: Global median = 57%. Comparatively significantly less of the respondents are likely to follow the news. That changes with the amount of education a person has. If they have more education, they are more likely to follow the news.

Reference: Publics around the world follow national and local news more closely than international: Pew Research Center report, 2018